


Springtide

by misura



Category: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
Genre: M/M, POV Alternating, Pre-Canon, Undercover As Prostitute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 03:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20735186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: In which Sinbad almost robs a high-class brothel in Syracuse and Proteus almost convinces him not to.





	Springtide

Sinbad would have thought that robbing the most high-class brothel in all of Syracuse had been a bad idea, except that it had been _his_ idea.

"Relax, will you?" Kale murmured. "You're acting like it's your first time."

As a matter of fact, it _was_ Sinbad's first time - to rob a brothel, that was. Still, Kale did have a point and Sinbad supposed that he might as well try to enjoy himself.

It shouldn't be too hard: there were some real beauties around. His for the asking, provided he accompanied said asking by handing over a considerable sum of money.

"Think I should - " he started to ask, swallowing the rest of the question because Kale was already rolling his eyes.

"Normally, I'd tell you not to waste your money, but given that we plan on robbing the place later on, sure. Why not? Just be careful, will you?"

"You mean: don't tell them that I'm here to case the place?" Sinbad's turn to roll his eyes. He liked to think he was a lot better at it than Kale.

Kale sighed. "That, yes. Look, I'm going to sit down over there. You do whatever you want to do and find me when you're done, all right?"

"Sure thing, pal." Next problem: how to choose.

_This is going to be more difficult than I thought._

*

Proteus prided himself on never asking anything of his men he would not ask of himself. Which was why he'd put on a wig, a dress and a certain amount of make-up and was now trying hard not to look as out of place as he felt.

_Thank the gods there's nobody here who knows me._ Marina had seemed to be amused more than anything else when Proteus had asked her to help him with his disguise.

She would make a great queen one day, if the two of them ever got married. Proteus liked her, he did, but ... _I don't love her. Not as anything other than a very good friend._ Nor, he suspected, did Marina view him as more than a companion. Someone to talk with and confide in, but not someone to fall head over heels in love with.

"Hi," someone said, and Proteus braced himself to politely turn away a would-be customer as he turned around, only to come face to face with -

"Sinbad?"

*

"What are you doing here?" Proteus - Proteus? asked, as if that shouldn't be _his_ question.

"What does it look like I'm doing here?" Sinbad disliked how defensive he sounded. The owner of this place paid taxes, for gods's sakes. It wasn't as if Proteus had caught him doing anything illegal - and even if he had, so what? "How about you?"

"I'm working," Proteus said, which was - "Undercover work," he added quickly, and Sinbad wondered what his face had given away. "According to one of our informants, a band of pirates is planning to rob this place."

"Really?" Sinbad wondered who had squealed. "That's just terrible. Wow. What is this world coming to."

To his credit, Proteus did look a little uncomfortable. "Yes, well. I'm here to keep an eye out for any suspicious types."

"Good thinking," Sinbad said. "And you know what, that dress really makes your eyes pop."

Proteus sighed. "Look, Sinbad, it's not that I wouldn't love to catch up with you, but ... some other time? You should probably leave now. If the pirates do show up tonight, things might get unpleasant."

"Yeah. About that."

_Kale is not going to like this._

*

"Beg pardon?" Proteus asked.

"Look," Sinbad said, "it's simple. I help you with your cover, and you - well, I'm not saying that I expect you to actually do anything. But, you know, we should at least make it look like we're doing something. To keep your cover. In case the pirates have sent a spy or something."

Proteus felt himself flush. On the one hand, Sinbad's plan made sense. He knew that. It would be good tactics, to not let the enemy know the guard was expecting them.

On the other hand - well. "Sinbad!" he said.

"Oh, relax, will you?" Sinbad said, pulling him in the direction of the stairs, as if Proteus had already agreed. "A few kisses, and maybe you could take off my shirt with your teeth or something. That's all. Kids' stuff. Your precious virtue will be completely safe. Trust me."

_A better question would be: can I trust myself?_ Proteus knew how he had once felt about Sinbad. _And then he left without so much as a word._

"I trust you," he said. "Of course I trust you. But - "

*

_He doesn't know. He can't know._ Proteus wasn't an idiot: once he found out what Sinbad did for a living, he'd figure out what Sinbad was doing here, and then that would be that.

_So I'll keep him from asking too many questions. Easy._ Proteus still looked a bit dazed, but Sinbad had managed to get them to the relative privacy of a room.

The bed looked very soft and inviting. Proteus had sat down on the edge, as if he was afraid that if he allowed himself to let his guard down, he would - _what? Feel a sudden overwhelming urge to have sex with me? Yeah, I don't think so._

"Can I - " Sinbad asked, and Proteus nodded.

Without the wig, Proteus looked even more like himself. "You always did have good eyes."

"What can I say, it's a gift," Sinbad said. He considered pulling up a chair, but the bed did look very comfortable and he figured he might as well use it.

He definitely only imagined Proteus looking at him as he stretched and made himself at home.

Proteus sighed, then let himself fall backwards. "Sinbad. Why didn't you tell me you were back?"

*

Even with the both of them fully dressed, lying this close to Sinbad felt ... odd. Proteus tried not to imagine what might happen if he were to reach out and take Sinbad into his arms and forget that the two of them hadn't seen one another for years and years.

_We're practically strangers._

It didn't feel like they were strangers. Not in this room, and not with Sinbad smiling at him like that, relaxed and happy and without a care in the world.

_Also without any explanation for what he's doing here. Apart from the obvious._

"A sailor's life," Sinbad said. "You know what that's like. Here today, gone with the next tide."

"You're a sailor?" Proteus felt a mix of relief and disappointment. Sinbad being Sinbad, he'd expected more. Something special.

"Well. I do have my own ship." Sinbad grinned. "My own crew. Good people. You'd like them."

_He wouldn't._ Proteus swallowed. _He has. Damn it, Sinbad._ "Would I really?"

*

_All right, so he knows. I can still fix this. Somehow._

"Proteus," Sinbad said. "The guy who owns this place? He's a crook. He probably cheats on his taxes. So you see, I'm really doing you a favor. Don't think of it as me robbing the place. Think of it as me collecting some back taxes."

Proteus closed his eyes. "Sinbad."

"You don't need to do or say anything," Sinbad said. "Just go home. Tell them you're allergic to the make-up or something. Easy. Then the day after that, boom, it's done and we can all live happy ever after. What do you say?"

"I can't do that. You know I can't do that." Proteus shook his head, looking regretful and stupidly noble.

Sinbad wanted to kiss him until Proteus would forget about this silly obsession he had with Following the Law and Doing the Right Thing. It wouldn't work for very long, but at least Sinbad would have gotten something out of this trip.

"Honestly, Proteus. I thought we were friends," he said, putting a hint of a wobble in his voice.

Proteus looked torn, and Sinbad allowed himself a glimmer of hope. Then Proteus said, "No," again.

*

_My best friend grew up to be a pirate. A pirate captain, even._ Proteus wondered where he'd gone wrong, what he could have said or done to change Sinbad's destiny.

"I'm not going to arrest you," he said.

"You're not - " Sinbad's expression was stunned, as if he hadn't even considered that option. "I should hope not! Arrest me? Why, I should - some friend you are!"

That stung. Proteus told himself it shouldn't. It worked about as well as telling himself that now that he knew the truth, he no longer felt the least bit attracted to Sinbad.

"You should probably leave," he said. "You're not going to be robbing this place."

"You could at least say you're sorry!" Sinbad said.

Proteus looked at him and said, "I'm sorry." He even meant it, more or less.

"Good!" Sinbad said. "You should be!"

"I think you're being a bit dramatic," Proteus said. Part of him wanted to ask - or beg if necessary, Sinbad to stay, to talk about this, to see about maybe getting Sinbad a job in the Navy. Perhaps not a captain's posting, not right away, at least, but something honest and honorable and suitable for a man of his talents and skills.

"Maybe I like being dramatic," Sinbad said. "What's wrong with being dramatic when your best friend, the guy you've had a crush on since forever, when that guy is suddenly all about arresting you? Huh?"

*

All right, so he could have been a bit more smooth about that, but Proteus had this gift for pissing him off, and Sinbad had just had it. He wasn't allowed to rob the place, fine. He was supposed to be grateful Proteus didn't arrest him on spot, great.

He drew the line at pretending he didn't want to kiss Proteus until they both ran out of breath. Some things, a man simply couldn't let go. Sometimes, a man had to stand up for himself and tell his annoying, goodie two-shoes friend what was what.

"I - " Proteus said. "I'm not - "

Sinbad felt his blood run cold. _Gods, if any of you are watching this, could you maybe hold off on laughing your ass off for about three seconds and send a couple of lightning bolts my way? I would appreciate it ever so much._

Then Proteus scowled at him and said, "I'm not all about arresting you! That's exactly what I mean when I say you're being too dramatic! Gods, Sinbad. I - I thought it was just me."

"I suppose I can understand that. I mean, I'm pret-ty awesome," Sinbad said. "Good-looking, charming, witty - the whole package. Who _wouldn't_ look at this and want to come and get some of that?"

Granted, Kale seemed fairly immune to his charms, but Kale was a freak. A great first mate, so Sinbad put up with a lot from the guy. Still. 

"Well," Proteus said, thereby proving he was a hundred times more deserving of Sinbad's affections than Kale. "I mean, here? Now?"

"The beds here are very comfortable," Sinbad said, mostly to check that yup, that got Proteus blushing all right. Unless Proteus really was allergic. "And hey, my plans for tonight just got cancelled thanks to you. So honestly, the least you could do is to make it up to me by sticking around and keeping me company."

"I suppose, if you put it like that." Proteus looked doubtful.

"That's the spirit."

"We really should talk some time," Proteus said.

"Tomorrow morning we can do all the talking you want," Sinbad promised.

" - and then you left before he'd even woken up," Kale said. "That's cold, Sinbad."

"I prefer to think of it as practical," Sinbad said, making a mental note of everyone who had nodded just now. It was a rather long list, which went to prove ... something or another about his crew. "Anyway, when am I ever going to see him again? He's a prince. I'm a pirate."

"You could've tried to work something out."

"I did," Sinbad said. "I worked out a way to get our hands on the greatest treasure of the seven cities. How's that for impressive?"

"Eh." Kale shrugged. "I would have been more impressed if you'd actually managed to hang on to this guy you've apparently had a crush on since you were kids together. Now that would have been impressive."

"Maybe I'll do that next."

"Sure," Kale said. "And pigs might fly."

**Author's Note:**

> I blame this one 100% on the movie letting Marina find a garment from 'a high-class brothel in Syracuse' in Sinbad's cabin.


End file.
